The sight of an all-black Plymouth Superbird is enough to drop a few jaws and generate plenty of questions. After all, Plymouth didn’t make black versions of this wing car, did it? Also, some details on the car don’t look like any other Superbird. You’d be correct on both counts. The history of the Black Ice Superbird is a fascinating one few seem to know.
As explained in a recent YouTube video produced by Jennings Wing Cars, which we’ve included for your viewing enjoyment, it’s true that not a single Superbird was painted all black in the factory. This car originally was yellow, as indicated by the build sheet. That’s not all the changes made to it, as you can clearly see with the hood.
It was rocker Tom Ferry, who at the time was in the band Black Ice, who decided to paint this Superbird black from nose cone to the wing. That’s the sort of move you’d expect from an 80s metal musician, but Ferry didn’t stop there. The man added an Air Grabber fresh air induction system, something not offered by the factory for aerodynamic reasons, making this wing car that much cooler and more intimidating.
Ferry isn’t just an old rocker, the guy has gone on to do a lot of auto body work and artistic painting. You might say he has a gift and has made quite the career out of it back home in Alaska. Considering what a great job he did on Black Ice the Superbird, it’s easy to see why.
While the origin of this Plymouth remains a mystery, Jennings Wing Cars did uncover that it was abandoned on the streets of Los Angeles back in 1983 and was sold at a police impound auction. It passed through a few hands before it ended up with Ferry.
